Updated 11:25 am, Monday, February 6, 2012

For teens, the world of social media can be a refuge - a place where they can confidently discuss their passions, secret desires, and, for some, suicide.

That was the case for two Houston girls who recently killed themselves after extensive Twitter and blog posts about their frustrations with life.

One tweeted a picture of a loaded revolver before she shot herself in the head last week.

Although startling, the cases reveal a strong connection between many teenagers and social media, through which they are often far more expressive and open about their personal thoughts than they would be in person, counselors and experts said.

Because of an increased sense of anonymity online, teens are more likely to act differently - more bold, aggressive about their opinions and, often, authentic - than they would be in person, according to a study on teen usage of social media conducted by The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project.

"They feel anonymous when they're writing this stuff, although obviously it's not anonymous," said Sherry Sunderman, the coordinator of guidance and counseling for Conroe ISD. "The good news is that they are expressing themselves. The bad news is when things don't get handled because they're not talking to adults who may be close by."

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Vigilance

Because teens are more expressive online, counselors are paying closer attention to their posts, whether it's through direct viewing or at the suggestion of a student who may be concerned about a friend, Sunderman said.

In the cases of Ashley Duncan, 17, and Ashley Billasano, 18, it appears that none of their hundreds of Twitter followers sounded an alarm about their tweets. Duncan had for days added blog and Twitter posts illustrating despair before she killed herself Jan. 30 in a grassy area near a bayou in southwest Houston. Billasano killed herself by suffocation in November after tweeting 144 times over a six-hour period about instances of sexual abuse she said she suffered that failed to draw criminal charges. She ended by saying, "I'd love to hear what you have to say. But I won't be around."

The positive and negative implications of teens' open attitudes to online expression are substantial.

Teens who might be more lonely in a school setting can benefit from social media by developing networks of friends associated with their interests, said Grace Rodriguez, a Houston-based branding and social media strategist.

"I notice that when people do start to feel down or get depressed or there are subtle hints, other people comment," Rodriguez said. "It makes them feel that somebody cares, and I think that's really important."

Danger in numbers

At the same time, there is the added danger of associating with a crowd that shares similar depressive thinking, said Steven Stack, a professor at Wayne State University in Detroit who has conducted extensive research on suicide and media.

"You can enforce your own depression by associating with other people who are depressed," Stack said.

Teens posting updates related to their depression could also fall prey to bullying or harsh jokes from others who don't take them seriously. The results can be dangerous, said Carla Sharp, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Houston.

"I think what we'll see is that social media will be a protective factor for some kids, but for other kids it may, in fact, enhance a sense of isolation," Sharp said.

When teens express suicidal thoughts, even on Twitter or Facebook, they should be confronted directly, he said. And because teens are so active on social media, increased awareness at schools about warning signs and suicidal behavior online is important, he said.

"Almost all the time somebody has one last-ditch effort," Berger said. "They want to get one word out to somebody as a last resort."